THE BONES IN OUR BACKYARD
by iheartroboboogie
Summary: In a world where nefarious creatures crawl along his walls, and sleep next to him in his bed, Sebastian Michaelis has been in and out of a strait jacket for the past six years. Due to an irreparable travesty that had happened to him in childhood, Sebastian struggles to maintain enough of a grip on his sanity to keep himself alive.
1. Chapter 1: Hippocampus

_THE BONES IN OUR BACKYARD_

_Due to the insipid shaking of my fingers I cannot apply my thoughts to paper; I can't even hold a fucking pencil anymore…._

_Journal 23 _

_October 5, 2013_

_So many troubling thoughts have managed to snake their way into the uninhabitable sludge that has become my brain. They slither around deep inside my hippocampus, only to emerge during psychosis. During this time period when I submerge myself into complete hysteria, I can make very little sense of these intermediate flashes of past experiences. _

_This only causes me to delve further into woe and thusly a brief onslaught of depression ensues. The medication has been tampering with the proper functions in my cerebellum. This sheer lack of motor control in my hands causes me to fear the onset of Parkinson's disease, though that is impossible. _

_Clinically speaking I am suffering from an object dysfunction in the brain; the kind of dysfunction that led to my admittance to an insane asylum at age 12. They say I wasn't born with it however. Rather it was the occurrence of something so miraculously traumatizing that had happened to me when I was a child, causing my psychological undoing. Though I haven't the foggiest as to what it was._

_I can only cognitively recall my trauma in brief intervals when I am in hysteria. I am on many variations of antipsychotics; I don't know all the names. But I know what they do: some put me out, others calm my inner thoughts, and others keep me from harming myself and the poor nurses. One-I think her name was May-Rin, professed her undying affections for me. _

_Christ, if her fantasy were to have been played out, she'd of not only married me but all the medications, and the voices inside my head to boot. What a laugh, although she was a very sweet girl, she'd of been too susceptible to my debouched sense of reality. Her philanthropy would have been wasted on me, and I'd of broken her, and without even meaning to. _

_Broken her like that charming little crack in her glasses she always wore… _

Chapter 1: **Hippocampus**

The halls were predictably animated by loud chattering, music blasting from varying Apple products, and the sounds of dirty sneakers squeaking along the tiled flooring. Lockers slammed, couples were kissing and doing that annoying backwards walking thing, while hugging each other as if they thought they were charming. While in reality, they looked like a pair of Siamese-twins. Sebastian didn't mean to harp on the innocence of young-love but the scene still annoyed him nonetheless.

Especially when aforementioned couples carelessly banged into Sebastian, and stomped on his toes, while on his way to 5th period. His first day had been exhausting to say the least. Now that his physician had proclaimed him well enough to attend school, Sebastian was forced to commune with the fray of lesser intelligence.

Bubblegum-chewing, pot-smoking, prepubescent loiterers, all collectively gathering under one roof for six hours a day. Sebastian's physician Dr. Angelina Durless had become increasingly concerned with the social stigmata Sebastian would later face, if he did not receive the proper social stimulus now. Dr. Durless had pointed out that Sebastian was also very intelligent, and should not allow the functioning parts of his brain to rot away with the rest.

Though Sebastian had retorted with the idea that it was meaningless to start high school when one is nearly 18 and a senior. But she insisted, one year of high school, the peak of all social communion, would be a healthy change for him. Sebastian was a tall, lanky thing, seemingly all limbs. He had soft black hair with a couple of rogue bangs that would fall over his eyes on occasion.

Fair skin, sharp jaw-line, and a pair of intense terracotta eyes. Doctors hadn't an explanation for it, though there had been some theories. Perhaps his eyes were originally a dark brown, though conceivably a blood vessel burst in his cornea when he was very young, causing the reddish pigmentation in his iris….or something.

He was thin but sturdy, certainly not malnourished, he ate like a champion. His clothes were plain: white T-shirt, black straight-legged jeans. He didn't wish to be noticed much, perhaps he'd interact with a few people but he wasn't at all looking for a large social group to fit into.

Sebastian had made it to his general science class with ease. Unfortunately it wasn't such a small task to make it to his previous classes on time. He'd had to run hell for leather to every other class prior to this one. Sebastian was only a few minutes before the bell, upon entering he saw that there were other novices already seated.

He stood stupidly for a bit, eyeing the potential seats he could take. He noticed a boy, predictably a freshman, with sandy curls, and sea foam eyes. He was conversing loudly with another seated behind him, though Sebastian couldn't see who it was. He made a mental note to avoid the lurid boy. Sebastian knew that kid's type, he was loud and over confident, he'd say anything to put another down. And he was most likely very popular.

"Are you Sebastian Michaelis?" A whimsical voice questioned, and Sebastian jumped. He'd been so accustomed to the sound of his own voice inside his head, that it actually startled him to be spoken to by another living entity. "Yes." Sebastian took a prudent pause to await a response.

"Well welcome, let's see I already have a seating chart. Where can I put you…?" Sebastian took this moment to regard the individual before him. She was tall, and had presumably long red hair, though it had been pulled back into a messy bun. Her skin was fair, everything about this woman was ostentatious, boasting and beaming the color red.

Red fingernails, red glasses, red lips, a red dress suit, the only thing that offset the obnoxious hue was her eggshell blouse, and her black tights, the heels however were predictably red.

"My name is Mrs. Sutcliff~ my you're a tall thing aren't you? ... Hm such broad shoulders…" Mrs. Sutcliff pondered distantly, tapping one long, red finger nail against her lips. Sebastian cringed slightly under her scrutiny, the attention making him ill at ease. "Well alright Sebastian I suppose I can seat you next to Ciel Phantomhive, he's the boy with the teal-grey hair sitting just behind the loud mouth." She pointed. Sebastian already knew which loud mouth she was referring to.

Sebastian swallowed deeply and went to his seat next to the teal-haired boy and the loud mouth.

"I can't fucking believe he'd do that! Oh my god that's so raunchy, I didn't know he was into that shit." The blond wailed with excitement at the new gossip he was being fed. "Yeah I didn't know that either, guess I should have asked him before we started dating." This time it was the teal-haired boy, Ciel that spoke. To which "Loud-Mouth" giggled and said, "Oh yeah like that wouldn't be hella awkward. Hey Claude sorry to ask, but I have to know are you into anal beads?"

He laughed noisily at his own joke. "Shut the fuck up, people can hear you dork." Ciel admonished, lightly shoving Loud-Mouth's shoulder. "Oh shit you're new huh?" Sebastian blinked; apparently Loud-Mouth was speaking to him now. "Yeah." He said simply.

"Damn dude, your arms are fucked up." Loud-Mouth had been referring to the various scars on Sebastian's bear arms, he had plenty, and they were very visible. Sebastian quickly shoved his arms under his desk. He'd been so used to being alone or just having Dr. Durless as his only company that he hadn't really thought much of his scars. To him they were just part of the upholstery. He hadn't taken into consideration what the general populous might think of them.

Ciel's brows furrowed as he spoke. "Alois that was rude, and fucked up, you don't say that shit to someone." He seemed genuinely upset with his blond counterpart, regardless at least now Sebastian could put a name to the blond, though truthfully he preferred to address him as Loud-Mouth. However in this case Alois has now been demoted from Loud-Mouth to "Fuck-Face".

Alois simply shrugged as if he disagreed, crinkling his nose with a snobbish flourish. From the corner of his eye, Sebastian discretely took a moment to analyze Ciel's features. He was small, a gentle frame, pail, his graceful swan-like neck, thin, and fragile looking. His hair was short, though his bangs were quite long and gathered moodily over his eyes. Ciel's eyes however, were the very pinnacle of his features.

They were large and doll-like with a doughy glow so full of expression. He held the very seas in his eyes, so vast were their watery depths that one could almost drown in them. His long lashes kissed his cheeks when he blinked. He had a perfect, sweet little heart shaped face. His body, though Sebastian couldn't really tell, looked very girlish.

Ciel was wearing a black V-neck T-shirt, though what Sebastian noticed the most was his blue gym shorts. The term _short_ took a literal sense pertaining to Ciel's bottoms. They bunched high on his velvet thighs, or what Sebastian presumed to be velvet since his skin looked so silky. The shorts had a little slit in them providing all the more opportunity for his perfect, plump, thighs to peek through.

Ciel's knees were a pinkish hue, he had cute little girl knees in Sebastian's opinion. He seemed so fragile and pure and cute and full of life. Of course it only seemed logical for a clinically insane person like Sebastian, to suddenly take on such a perverse fascination with one so young and seemingly innocent. In fact he felt briefly ashamed of himself for feeling an attraction to Ciel's girly knees, or dimpled cheeks.

Sebastian looked away; he knew intuitively that this would be the part where he would become psychotically vexed by Ciel. Build shrines to the young boy in his closet, and sniff his hair when he passed by. He'd probably end up killing himself over Ciel because he couldn't have him.

Sebastian slumped deeply into his chair as his heart threw itself against his chest. He didn't want to be one of _those_ crazies. Couldn't he just be an average mentally impaired person? Biding his time chewing his fingernails until they bled, talking to himself, clawing at the fictitious cockroaches living under his skin; couldn't he just simply mind his own business, and forget his hormonally inhibited teenage fantasies?

"Hey um…my friend's an asshole, just ignore him…okay?" Sebastian jerked his head in Ciel's direction. So lost in his own woe that it took him a moment to proses what had just been said to him. "Hello?" Ciel tried again after not having cultivated a response.

'_Say something normal, not creepy…say something you fucking moron! He's staring at you.'_ He kept staring at Ciel's knees, was he developing some kind of sick knee fetish? Sebastian shyly looked up to meet Ciel's confused gaze. _'Too late he already thinks I'm a nut.' _

"Uh-uh-yeah, um its fine I guess I was kind of asking for it anyway." Sebastian blurted stupidly, his hands were quivering. "Oh um well if you're sure you're alright?" Ciel said as he cutely tucked a piece of hair behind his ear. Fuck knee fetishes, ears are the rage! Sebastian wanted to bang his head against his desk. Instead, he settled for burying his head in his arms.

"Soo…?"

"I'm fine thanks." Sebastian mumbled into his arm. Ciel giggled. Do laugh fetishes even exist? '_What a cute laugh!'_ "So, you're a freshman?" Ciel inquired dubiously. "Senior actually; I was on…reprieve for a period of time and couldn't make up the credits my freshman year." Sebastian supplied. In fact he hadn't received any formal education during his freshman year due to his degenerating mental health.

While most freshmen were being inaugurated into the cosmic terrain of high school-dom, Sebastian was sustained in solitary confinement. The straightjacket fit comfortably he remembered. He had been prone to self-harm, thus all the cuts and scratches along his arms and inner thighs.

Once he had even tried to kill himself with the broken shards of a light-bulb. Shame overtook Sebastian at the recollection, and he winced briefly.

"Mrs. Sutcliff is an odd one isn't she?" Sebastian asked changing the subject.

"I agree. She's pretty weird. Wasn't she checking you out earlier? I saw you when you walked in."

"I dunno, she said something weird about my shoulders I think." Sebastian shrugged, not wanting to entertain the idea of Mrs. Sutcliff thinking anything of him beyond a student-to-teacher ratio. She had an awfully deep voice for a female. Sebastian tried to scout out the presence of an Adam's apple on the supposed female. However his pursuit had been deterred by a rouge scarf, wrapped strategically about the woman's neck.

Ciel continued to interact with Sebastian as best he could. During the brief intervals when Mrs. Sutcliff would go off on a wild tangent about the "sexiest pair of pumps" she saw at a boutique. Which had little congruency with the Mesozoic, and Paleozoic era of which she was supposed to be discussing. Ciel would take the opportunity to whisper conversations with Sebastian, evidently preferring to thoroughly ignore Alois altogether.

Sebastian kept staring at the boy's lips; the gentle way they would form words while being spoken. Every twitch, or smile or frown, how perfect and full they seemed. Ciel's words fell on deaf ears for all Sebastian was focusing on was the nature of how the words were formed, and paid little attention to their actual content.

"…So I guess that's why I never really thought much of sports, poor coordination and all. Do you play sports?" Sebastian tore his gaze away from Ciel's lips, he was being directly spoken to and he hadn't a jot of what Ciel had been previously on about.

"I…what?"

"Sports. Do you play any?"

"Oh, no." To which Sebastian moronically asked, "Do you?"

"I just finished explaining to you how much I hated them…" Ciel blinked, furrowing his brows.

"Oh."

"He was too busy checking you out Ciel, duh." Alois interjected. '_Hey Fuck Face, go die in a hole will you?' _Sebastian thought rudely. "So um, what, is your dad a huge sports fanatic or something? Is that also why you hate them?" Sebastian averted. Ciel looked rather surprised; he hadn't mentioned anything about his father. Apparently Sebastian was rather insightful.

"Yeah actually. Over the summer my dad would always try to sign me up for different little league teams, I couldn't stand it."

"And yet Ciel's boyfriend is lead cornerback on the school football team. Weird huh?" Alois stated sarcastically. "Do you ever shut up?" Ciel retorted angrily. Sebastian temporarily went mute after hearing the news of Ciel's _boyfriend. _Ciel had a boyfriend which intern obviously meant he was attracted to the same gender.

Though Sebastian supposed he shouldn't have been too surprised. After all, Ciel's basic characteristics were that of the gentle, feminine, variety. However he still couldn't help the sudden sinking sensation of his heart descending into his stomach. Ciel had been claimed by another, and instead of it being a relief that he was interested in males, to Sebastian it was almost like a slap in the face because he couldn't have him.

Childishly, Sebastian slumped low into his seat. He stared at a poster on the classroom wall depicting a cute little kitten dangling helplessly from a tree-branch. Words were scrawled in bulgy print on the poster that ironically read: "Hang in there" in pink lettering. Sebastian found he greatly sympathized, feeling much like the kitten.

"Claude usually walks me to my 6th period class. I can introduce you then if you want…Sebastian?" As if on cue, Sebastian nodded distantly feigning interest in meeting Ciel's boyfriend, the one called _Claude. _For the duration of 5th period Sebastian tried his level best to focus on Mrs. Sutcliff's lecture. He found it rather difficult to stay on task, namely because she continuously diverted from the subject of which she was teaching, to menial things like fashion.

It was a wonder how one as vivacious and whimsical as Mrs. Sutcliff, would limit herself to a subject of teaching that was so restrictive to her "preferred" sensibilities. Not only that, it surprised Sebastian that she was even a teacher at all.

"Why that woman ever thought she could show me up in her shabby Dolce and Cabana pumps was completely beyond me. I mean they were clearly fake. Believe you me I can spot authenticity from a mile away, and those knock-offs didn't even have the signature label on them." Mrs. Sutcliff pointlessly ranted, and Sebastian rolled his eyes.

So far he'd only learned about the difference between a woman wearing a dress that looks like a shag carpet, and a woman wearing a dress that looks like a "couture" shag carpet. He hated Dr. Durless for doing this to him; forcing him into foreign territory full of raging hormones and sex, and Dolce and Cabana. He'd only been homeschooled up until this point, knowing little about the world of adolescent social interest groups.

Evidently Ciel's boyfriend had been busy with other affairs, so Sebastian didn't get to meet him after class as Ciel intended. To say the least Sebastian wasn't very disappointed. He somehow had the feeling he wouldn't fancy Ciel's boyfriend anyway. Possibly because he was Ciel's boyfriend and possibly due to Sebastian's intuition, he'd guessed this Claude guy was an asshole.

Aside from his encounter with Ciel Phantomhive, the rest of the school day for Sebastian had gone unnoticed. Before he knew it he was on his way home, kicking up the dust with his dirty Convers. Pulling his car keys from his back pocket he jammed the key into the lock. He lived a little ways from the high school, in the city actually, of Tampa Florida. The air was wet and hot, and Sebastian felt as though he were going to pass out after having gotten into his car. The sweltering heat surrounded him, like being wrapped in a wool blanket.

When the car was turned on, the engine hummed along with the music blasting loudly from the stereo system. Sebastian tapped the dashboard to the beat of the music, and pulled out of the parking lot.

"Hold your colors against the wall, when they take everything away…" Sebastian mouthed the lyrics. Fifteen minutes later Sebastian had pulled his Ford into the parking garage of the large 50 story apartment complex, where he shared a condo with Dr. Durless. She most likely wouldn't be home from the lab until 8:00 pm, so Sebastian had the condo to himself until then.

Upon stepping into the condo, Sebastian was embraced by the cool, sterile air, trapped from inside. His body immediately went lax against the cooling feeling, and he kicked the door closed, and tossed his keys on the couch and then slumped into it.

The atmosphere in the condo was that of complete silence, nothing but the gentle hum of the air conditioner was audible. Sebastian closed his eyes, allowing himself to soak in it. He was testing himself, attempting to relax he slumped further into the sofa. The quiet always made Sebastian feel paranoid, especially when alone.

The silence allowed Sebastian's senses to take over, making him more sensitive to any disturbances, and more importantly giving his imagination free reign to turn any foreign sound into something truly terrifying. Sounds could be anything, from something harmless to the demonic creatures living in the shadows of his room at night. He'd seen them crawling up his walls and lying next to him in his bed. His body began to tense once again.

A shadow passed over Sebastian's closed eyelids and they shot open. He gasped loudly, his back went ridged. He saw nothing however. In any case he didn't want to leave his post on the couch. Hugging his knees to his chest, he remained frozen until Dr. Durless arrived.


	2. Chapter 2: Cerebellum

Journal 24

October 6, 2013

_I dreamed for the first time in months. I was in a world full of Technicolor. I saw negative outlines of trees, and shadows, and then I saw a red chair in the midst of a grassy plane. Suddenly a woman appeared, seated on the red chair she was holding something, although I couldn't tell what it was. Her head rose slowly, as she acknowledged my presence. She was weeping, her eyes bleeding black ink. It soon accumulated into a puddle around her and the red chair began to sink. She drowned, and then I woke up… _

Chapter two: **Cerebellum**

"So…this dream of yours, do you think it has any significance?" Dr. Durless inquired. Sebastian shrugged. "What did the woman look like?" She continued. "Dunno." Sebastian answered simply. A labored sigh left Dr. Durless' lips, as she uncrossed her legs, and placed her feet flat against the carpet. She was wearing a pink tank-top, and silk pajama bottoms. Today was her day off, a Monday. The woman worked odd hours.

Her usual fringe was pinned back with bobby pins, and her usually crimson-painted toenails where covered with a pair of pink, fuzzy, socks. Sebastian liked Dr. Durless like this, something about her lax attire made her seem more motherly and less serious. Sebastian was still in his flannels, and a large black T-shirt that read "Aurora Borealis" on the front in red lettering; a favorite band of Sebastian's.

"Have you taken your Ritalin?" Dr. Durless asked, rising from her seated position and heading for the kitchen. "Yeah." Sebastian answered. "Did you eat anything? You know that stuff makes you forget to eat." "Does a Monster drink count?" Dr. Durless furrowed her brows, and placed a hand on her hips. "You know I hate it when you drink that crap. It makes you even more hyperactive then you already are." She protested.

"I feel sluggish all the time, because you've got me all doped up 24/7." Sebastian joked. Dr. Durless found no humor in his comment. "The medication has stabilized you a great deal; your progress has been remarkable. If you feel sluggish, then don't stay up so late rather than poison your body with extract of bull testicles."

"You make it sound so appealing when you put it like that." Sebastian commented sarcastically. "And anyway that's a myth. They don't really put that shit in energy drinks."

"Get dressed, I'll drive you to school, you look tired I don't want you driving."

Sebastian shrugged, "I don't feel much like driving anyway."

Opting for a long sleeved shirt, due to the torturous comments he received last week at school, he found a grey and black striped shirt, and pared it with kacky shorts. It was muggy out so he didn't want to suffocate himself.

It had been three days since he'd seen Ciel, and 'Fuck-Face.' He longed to see Ciel again, though he could do without the other one. Cute knees, pretty laugh, charming smile…No Sebastian promised himself he wouldn't become obsessed, and in any case Ciel was already taken, to fantasize about him any further would be counterproductive and a waste of time.

Dr. Durless' car was of the sleek and red variety. Much like Mrs. Sutcliff, she too shared an affinity for the color red. Sebastian wasn't very educated in the vast ethnicities of vehicles, though he did understand that this car in particular was a Porsche and a very lavish one at that. Once boarded, Sebastian slumped in his seat, propping his feet on the dashboard.

"Don't do that please." Dr. Durless admonished, and Sebastian, as in his teenage-nature, simply rolled his eyes and moved his feet. He decided to busy himself by pulling out his school schedule. He'd been studying the locations of all his classes religiously so that he wouldn't be "that guy" who was always stopping spontaneous people in the hallways, asking for directions.

_"Edward Gory High"_ was a grandiose facility, housing a healthy sum of students, reaching the mid-thousands. The Edward Gory "_Grave Robbers" _were one of the most formidable high school football teams in the district. The representatives for the team consisting of lead quarterback Claude Faustus, and Coach Spears, even appeared in the newspaper on several occasions. Sebastian had grudgingly seen Claude's face plastered on the front page, smirking like a self-righteous douchebag.

Sebastian hated the guy before he even knew him. He surmised that Ciel must be Claude's little trophy boyfriend or something. After all Ciel was too cute, beautiful, and perfect, it only made sense for a nefariously popular guy like Claude to attain such an unusual and beautiful creature, coveted by both women _and_ men. Sebastian sneered; he could join the football team if he wanted. He had the stamina, agility, and strength, he may be a lanky thing, but he had muscle.

He could beat the shit out of that Claude guy if he wanted. Sebastian grinned at the thought of curb-stomping the burly, Ciel-hogging, son-of-a-bitch, in granny glasses. In truth Claude wasn't a bad looking guy, actually he was quite handsome, so it wasn't as though Ciel didn't choose to be with him of his own volition. Nevertheless Sebastian was still perversely irked by the whole scenario, perhaps because it was in his basic nature to be both possessive, and jealous.

And in any case, wasn't the whole moody, emotionally disturbed, dark, bad boy-thing supposed to be sexy? Sebastian lifted up his shirt and analyzed his fizeek. He pinched his stomach.

"Have I gone flabby?" He asked, eyeing Dr. Durless for a response. To which she simply raised a brow, and shot him a dubious glance. "Where on earth did that come from?" She questioned, as she stole a glace at Sebastian's exposed belly. Sebastian patted his stomach like a drum. "Dunno, just thought I'd ask, I mean it's not like I work out."

"Sebastian you could easily be a model if you wanted, there's nothing wrong with your body." She reassured him. "Oh yeah, ah Dr. do you have a thing for me that I am somehow unaware of?" He teased, poking her arm. "Any girl would be drooling at your feet." Dr. Durless retorted, playfully ruffling his hair. "It's not just _anyone _I want drooling at my feet." Sebastian explained vaguely.

"Isn't your school supposed to have a talent competition coming soon? You have a nice voice, and you can play the electric guitar. Why not enter and show your stuff?" Dr. Durless suggested. If Sebastian did decide to enter he could impress Ciel, or at least cause the boy to take more notice of him. Then again Sebastian wasn't too excited about the prospect of making a spectacle of himself in front of the student body.

_*"Oh Sebastian, that was incredible! You looked so sexy on stage it made me so hot. Please say you'll make me yours"* _

Sebastian blinked rapidly. he doubted severely that Ciel would ever say such a thing to him. But the fantasy still made him grin wildly, the thought of a blushing, cooing, Ciel, begging for his attention was all too tempting. Sebastian heard sweet moans, and lilting cries, in his ears. He could feel soft lips against his, and a slender body in his lap, plump, lavish, thighs, caressing his hips. The feel of silken velvet surrounding him, and the dampness of pleasure.

'_Knock it off! Now isn't the time to be thinking about fucking Ciel.' _Sebastian mentally chastised himself. Dr. Durless pulled alongside the front of the school to let Sebastian off. Swinging his backpack over his shoulder, he exited the vehicle, nodding his head to Dr. Durless as she pulled out. Sebastian was so annoyed with himself for fantasizing about Ciel naked on his lap, that his face soured, and his eyebrows furrowed.

He wanted Ciel for himself, and at this point it was foolish to ignore that desire. Though Sebastian had to try and be logical about this, however impossible it seemed. First he'd have to meet the competition. Only then could he further devise a plan to make Ciel his. Claude be damned, if Sebastian had to rip that man's tongue out and hang him with it to get Ciel he would.

There was a reason the term "prone to violence" was written in red ink on his record at the asylum. Sebastian had maimed countless nurses: stabbed one in the throat with a fountain pen, pealed another one's nails individually off her fingers, poured boiling hot tea down another nurse's throat. Sebastian had been in a _very_ bad mood during his stay at the asylum.

It was believed that one of the medications Sebastian had been on was the product of violent tremors in his hands. Unfortunately Doctors couldn't ascertain which antipsychotic it was that was causing the issue. To solve this, they decided to purge Sebastian's body of all medication to draw blood samples, then gradually give him medication indiscriminately. The withdrawals were torture, and the inconsistency of the medications being distributed was even worse.

Sebastian wanted to instill a sense of equilibrium amongst his fellow conspirators, and pay them in kind for the pain they had caused. Sebastian had frustrated doctors to such an extent that they were willing and ready to take liberties. They wanted to set Sebastian's able body aside for exclusive experimentation, doctors were ashamed of his lack of improvement, and thusly deemed him a threat to society.

Fortunately for Sebastian, Dr. Durless, his primary care physician and psychiatrist had proposed a compromise. She'd built a sort of communion with Sebastian that she wasn't quite ready to demolish, by handing him over for illegalized electro shock therapy. Due to Durless' sycophantic faculties, she was able to coerce her superiors into allowing Sebastian parole, only if she cares for him permanently and nurtures progress.

So far Dr. Durless had managed to soothe out the violence from Sebastian's tense body, with kind words, and thoroughly researched, tested, medication. The trembling of Sebastian's hands unfortunately was just a side-effect that couldn't be helped. Doctors at "_Percival Duffy's Institute_" were cruel, and had too much time on their hands. Dr. Durless was convinced that they simply wanted to document what would happen if they jumbled a mentally ill person's medications.

Sebastian had been tortured at Duffy's, it was even reasonable to assume that the institute had made him even worse off than when he had first been committed as a young boy. For the most part, violent tendencies had been dormant from deep within Sebastian's psyche, unless otherwise provoked.

Sebastian was like a mindless drone throughout his morning classes. It was only until his fated 5th period encounter with Ciel Phantomhive that helped to animate his usual dullness. Sebastian had really tried his best to be as unnoticeable as possible by all the rest, but Ciel was a special case. He didn't mind at all if Ciel noticed him.

Upon taking his seat, Sebastian observed that Ciel was missing. He'd supposed he was just early. Sebastian had felt jittery all morning, and now wasn't any different. His hands were quivering slightly. He'd felt as though he'd guzzled a gallon of coffee the way his body was reacting. Sebastian wanted to hit something just to purge his body of all the stress. He bounced his knee repeatedly up and down with vigor, while chewing on his bottom lip.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Apologies for the cliff hanger. I usually dislike leaving my chapters in purgatory, but unfortunately my mind has drawn a blank. My Plot Bunny has scampered off into the multi-dimensional rabbit holes in my brain. But once I finally subdue the little fucker, I will then produce another chapter, hopefully without a cliff. Until then, thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3: Hypothalamus

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I apologize for the incorrect formatting in my character dialogue. Hopefully I've remedied that in this chapter. Thank you for reading and feel free to point out any future inconsistencies. It helps me to grow as a writer. Thank you for reading!

Chapter 3: Hypothalamus

The sound of sand paper scratching away at long, rouge-colored, claws, echoed in the lifeless classroom. A handful of students were busily cramming to finish last week's homework before the bell. Sebastian could hear every page that was being turned in their poorly-handled text books. The clock was like a metronome, its haggard hands twitching ceaselessly.

_Scratch, flip, tick._

_Scratch, flip, tick._

_Scratch, flip, tick. _

Like a very drawl theme song, to match the equally drawl, and hum-drum atmosphere of the class room. Sebastian mashed his brows, as he became perversely annoyed with the listlessness, and his anxiety began to build. He eyed how swiftly the pages in a Life Science book were being turned by another student. How violently swift her fingers flipped from page after page. One wrong move and she was looking at a nasty paper cut.

He imagined thin, little fingers, gliding along the smooth surface of the text book, and as they turned a page suddenly a finger got caught on a sharp edge of the thin sheet. A singular drop of blood spattered the text, and then another, and another. Until a river of blood poured out, thick red lines covering the text as she continued to flip. Page after page her fingers were cut, page after page was covered in blood.

Until finally, skin was beginning to tear away from bone, yet she still kept turning.

-And turning…and turning…and turning…

"Stop it!" Sebastian hollered at the pig-tailed girl who had been previously turning pages. She jolted at the sound of Sebastian's low and angry voice. "Doesn't that _hurt _you?" He questioned, glaring at the girl. "Does what hurt me?" The girl responded, eyes still shock-stricken from being yelled at. He stared at her bity fingers. They weren't bleeding, and suddenly Sebastian felt incredibly stupid.

"I'm sorry, I just-I hate paper cuts you know." Sebastian breathed out shakily. "Pet peeve." He continued. The girl blinked for a moment, and then the signs of comprehension became evident in her eyes.

"Sorry to disturb you." She blushed. Sebastian swallowed deeply. "Wasn't your fault I was just being stupid." He assured her. Though she continued to stare at him, not in a rude way. But in a fascinated way. "My name's Elizabeth." A high voice lilted from Sebastian's peripheral. '_I yell at her and now she wants to be "girlfriends" with me? ' _Sebastian pondered dubiously. However he decided not to complain, and instead saw this as good fortune, considering the circumstance.

"Sebas-"He began.

"-I know." Elizabeth interrupted. "I mean I heard you talking to Ciel and Alois last week. I caught your name already." She explained sweetly. To which Sebastian nodded his head slowly.

"Ah."

"Ciel mentioned you. He seemed to like you so I wanted to get to know you too. Alois hates you though." Elizabeth giggled. Sebastian raised his brows. "And here I thought we were going to be best friends." He retorted sarcastically. Elizabeth giggled a second time. "Ciel told me you were funny."

"Where is Ciel?" Sebastian changed the subject. "He's still with Claude. The two of them usually go to Starbucks for coffee before 4th period lunch is out." She said while fiddling with one of her curly-cues. "I would have joined them, but I put off the homework I should have done last weekend so I'm here studying instead. And a good thing too, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten to talk with you." She tossed Sebastian a fructose smile, one that would seem disingenuous on anybody else's face save for her own.

"Are you close with Ciel?"

"Ciel and Claude, yes." She chirped. "Alois and I are dating. But don't worry I know he can be real mean at times. And I'm certain his reasoning for disliking you is silly."

"That kid's straight?" Sebastian blurted, in hindsight he realized what he said was probably rude but he didn't care. Elizabeth burst into giggle fits at Sebastian's genuine surprise. She was a good natured little thing, Sebastian decided. "Bi actually. But everyone thinks he's gay."

"Oh by the way Ciel has been making this huge stink about you meeting Claude. He says he wants you to hang out with us. We usually hang out at Claude's, wanna come?" Elizabeth asked, hope barely hidden behind her large emerald eyes. It was clear this girl wore her heart on her sleeve, every emotion evident, and honest.

Sebastian hummed, unsure that he wanted to spend a day alongside Claude and Alois. Though this would give him an opportune moment to get closer to Ciel and scope out the competition at the same time. Though Sebastian did promise himself that he wouldn't be involved in large social groups. This was exactly the sort of thing Dr. Durless had wanted for him.

Finally, and with his resolve intact, Sebastian shrugged, and gave his consent to the bubbly girl seated across from him. Blond, thick-curled, locks bounced about as they were strung high and taut with pink ribbon. She wore blue-jeans, pink flip-flops, and a pink halter-top, with a plunging back-line. She was reasonably flat-chested. She looked like a 12 year-old, yet dressed as a high school teen.

Sebastian almost wanted to scold her for wearing such revealing clothing. Much like an overly concerned father would scold his little girl for trying to grow up too fast. Sebastian wondered if this somehow made him a hypocrite. Ciel looked as though he were 12 yet Sebastian found him irresistible. Whereas with Elizabeth, while she may be charming Sebastian felt absolutely no attraction to her at all, and instead felt like a sick pervert for even entertaining the idea of finding her sexually appealing.

He supposed he was still a pervert regardless, but in his case a very selective one. The 5th period bell had finally tolled. Signaling that all students who procrastinated in getting to class had better haul ass into their respective seats, before they receive a detention. Mrs. Sutcliff snorted out her contempt for the bell and threw her nail filer away in the trash bin behind her desk.

Examining her claws, she sat at the edge of her large desk, waiting for all her students to arrive, before she began her _lesson. _

"What is with our teacher?" Sebastian asked Elizabeth in hushed tones.

"She and Coach are dating." Elizabeth whispered back.

"Coach?"

"As in Coach Spears. The meanest, and most none-bullshit kind of guy in the whole school faculty." She whispered back.

"So what, Mrs. Sutcliff is like his trophy girl friend or something?"

"Not really, their relationship is a bit complicated, but he's primarily the reason why she works here."

"Did she fuck him for a recommendation or something?" Sebastian probed only half serious. Once again Elizabeth burst out laughing, in loud giggle-fits, causing every head to turn, and every eye to fix onto the odd couple in the back. Sebastian slumped in his desk awkwardly, and simply pointed at the laughing girl next to him at if to blame the disruption on her.

"Elizabeth you're louder than Alois. Seems he's rubbed off on you." Mrs. Sutcliff complained.

"I'm sorry, it's just this guy, he says the funniest things." Elizabeth defended, now turning her attention towards Sebastian. To which Mrs. Sutcliff narrowed her eyes mumbling something about it always being the quiet ones, under her breath.

Sebastian made a sideways smirk. He couldn't believe the awesome super power he had over Elizabeth. All he had to do was merely open his mouth and his words sent the silly girl into a giggling vertigo. This was a stupid thing to be prideful about. But Sebastian was bored. So from this point on he decided to make a game of stringing together the most ridiculous slew of words in a sentence he possibly could, and try them out on her.

After the hysteria died down some, Sebastian decided to try out his little nonsense game.

"Hey Elizabeth." He whispered.

"Yeah?" She answered voice equally quiet, fearing that she may be scolded again. "Cupcake-fart." Sebastian deadpanned, straight-faced, with rigid eye contact. As if on cue, the girl erupted with laughter, and Sebastian simply raised an eyebrow with amusement.

"Elizabeth am I going to have to move you?" Mrs. Sutcliff threatened. Elizabeth shut her mouth with haste, and mouthed the words "you did that on purpose" to Sebastian.

"Sebastian what are you doing over there, making my Elizabeth laugh?" It was Ciel that spoke. Sebastian, surprisingly enough hadn't noticed him and Alois sneak in after the bell.

Ciel was smiling right at him. And suddenly Sebastian was struck dumb, as if he'd forgotten how to speak the English language entirely.

"He's over here torturing me." Elizabeth teased.

"I can see that." Ciel retorted, and Alois simply shot Sebastian a possessive glare, as if to say _'mine'._ It was clear that the sandy-curled, boy didn't appreciate the fact that Sebastian was steeling all the attention away from his friend and girlfriend.

"So are you going to hang out with us?" Ciel asked.

"Uh-yeah." Sebastian said stumbling over his words.

"What!?" Alois yelled in dismay, eyeing Ciel, convinced he must have been hearing things.

"Alois. You and your girlfriend are working my nerves." Mrs. Sutcliff warned dangerously.

"Yes I want him to meet Claude, I like Sebastian. So shut up about it already and quit being rude." Ciel said firmly. He gave Alois a stiff glance, daring him to further challenge his law. Alois allowed himself to be bludgeoned into silence by Ciel's words, but for defiance sake, he continued to openly sulk.

Ciel was so cute when angry. Sebastian admired the boy's stamina, and that he was not easily swayed by the influence of others. _'He __**likes**__ me?'_ Sebastian thought in awe.

"What's your 7th period Sebastian?" Ciel asked.

"Government." Sebastian decided that if he limited his dialogue with Ciel to one word sentences, he would give himself less of a chance of saying something moronic.

"Government is near the south wing right? I have gym near the portables. We can meet up and I'll personally escort you." Elizabeth offered her voice serendipitous, and lilting with whimsy. Sebastian didn't bother to argue the matter. It was decided that he'd meet with Elizabeth, and then further homogenize with Edward Gory royalty.

He supposed he would have to notify Dr. Durless of the sudden change of plans. Sebastian had never been the best at attaining friends, and maintaining healthy relationships. He was a thin, gloomy-looking boy in childhood. In kindergarten he'd been mute, up until he reached the fifth grade. Sebastian had even been diagnosed with a speech disorder due to his resistance to dialogue with anyone.

He once bit another boy for calling him a retard in the 4th grade. Sebastian remembered the trips to the principal's office more often than his actual scholastic experience. In 7th grade he'd been ripped out of school and sent off to Percival Duffy's. In truth Sebastian was mute as a child because he didn't know how to communicate with other people outside of his own home.

Within the walls of the Michaelis household was a sort of gibberish spoken that was only understood between the three of them. His father, Vance Michaelis, and his mother, Lola Michaelis. His mother was a frail thing, easily swayed. Sebastian remembered little of her because she was so unremarkable. She was nothing more than an addition to the furniture.

She had no voice of her own, but to echo Vance's own words to the letter. Sebastian didn't remember Vance being particularly cruel to her however. Vance was never prone to showing his anger in a violent manner. His words were always smooth and clinical, and his punishments were always unique and premeditated. Sebastian could only systematically recall wall-flower Lola, and cynical Vance.

He couldn't remember faces, what they did, or where they lived.

*"_Sebastian, eat your meat son."_

_"Papa I'm not hungry."_

_"Son meat is protein-makes you big and strong. Don't you want to be big and strong?"_

_"Yes sir."_

_"You could be a doctor, a physician-huh son?"_

_"Yes sir."_

_"You've got your mama's build. That's no good boy, you don't eat enough meat. Now I grilled this for you, and you're going to eat it."_

_"Tastes funny."_

_"It's prime meat, rare to the human pallet. Now eat up sport."_

_"Yes sir…"* _

His father always referred to him as _boy _or_ sport_. And insisted that Sebastian call him _papa. _ More gibberish. Sebastian had recalled the conversation he'd had about protein with his father. It was significant because it was the closest thing to normality Sebastian had ever known. It was a parent's calling to chastise a child of the importance of a balanced and healthy diet. The notion of feeling _normal_ due to some sub-standard conversation about protein was humorous to Sebastian now.

"Hey Sebastian, what are you smiling about?" Elizabeth asked innocently.

"Sorry it was nothing…Inside joke."


	4. Chapter 4: Mens Irrumabo

Chapter 4: **Mens Irrumabo**

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Pardon the randomness of the current character pairings. For those that are justifiably disgruntled about this I promise that they are not permanent (namely Alois/Elizabeth).

Disclaimer: (For form's sake, and since I have not yet done this) I do not own Kuroshitsuji or its characters.

She was illuminated by the Tampa sun. It was an odd 82 degrees outside, for the time of year in any case. Even the fall season was no match for the resisting Tampa heat; the air consistently temperate and humid. Tan arms jauntily waved up in the air, her golden locks bleached by the omnipotent sun rays.

Sebastian hadn't been waiting very long. 7th period had just gotten out, and Sebastian was a trifle nervous. Ciel _liked_ him. Sebastian couldn't believe how simple it had been getting more involved with Ciel Phantomhive (his new obsession) on an interpersonal level. Ciel seemed to except Sebastian with little resistance, as did Elizabeth evidently; though in her case she was rather simple in dynamic, easily humored, and good natured.

Elizabeth's small form came darting towards Sebastian, and he greeted her with a small smile. Huffing and puffing she stopped in front of him. She was still wearing her pink top, though her bottoms were replaced with gym shorts, as she had just come from the south gymnasium.

"You ready?" Elizabeth asked sweetly.

"Hey, how did Ciel know that you asked me about hanging out with you guys earlier?"

"Oh that? Yeah he asked me to talk to you before class started. I would have introduced myself earlier but I was so absorbed in my studies that I didn't notice you come in at first." She explained.

"Yeah, it took me screaming at you in order to be noticed." Sebastian teased. Elizabeth laughed predictably, and linked Sebastian's arm in hers.

"Oh by the way, there's still one more person you have to meet." Elizabeth said as she led Sebastian to the student parking lot.

"Oh yeah?" Sebastian remembered his nervousness. He'd never been around so many people in his own age-group for a long while. So far no one seemed to suspect anything. Sebastian was convinced he'd blown it with his little paranoid outburst not 2 hours prior. Luckily Elizabeth was a bit of ditz, and perhaps a little lacking in perception. Sebastian would enjoy teasing her in 5th period from now on.

A yank to his arm tore Sebastian from his thoughts, as he felt himself being led by the little blond in front of him.

"Hey Hanna! How was cheer practice?" Elizabeth hollered in the direction of a tall, lanky, female emerging from one of the classroom portables, and into the parking lot. She waggled her fingers in a flirtatious manner, smirking as she did so. She was carrying a large duffle bag, confetti pom-poms poking out from an open hole in her bag. Perched atop her head was a large pair of purple sunglasses, which she garishly slid over her gray eyes.

"Ugh practice was bunk! Angela's got weak legs and nearly dropped me. She's got spaghetti arms like major; it's really screwing with my performance. The girl's a stellar book-worm to the max. What's she even doing on the cheer team?!" Hanna complained. She ran her purple-painted fingers through her silver hair.

Hanna's hair framed her busty form like a moon-kissed mantle, her tanned skin, like mocha looked smooth and edible. She was entirely exotic, a luxurious lattice of Native American, and perhaps Haitian. Her vernacular gave Sebastian the impression that she was some sort of pre-Madonna. And with a body like hers Sebastian supposed he couldn't blame her.

_'Pilipino? No, no, no…Porte Rican?' _Sebastian pondered.

"Oh my god Elizabeth, where did you find _this one_?" Hanna asked as she circled around Sebastian, sliding her sunglasses to the bridge of her nose for a better view.

"This is Sebastian. He's a friend, and the new kid." Elizabeth supplied, Hanna didn't seem to be paying much attention however. She was too busy eyeing the "goods".

"He's yummy." Hanna said simply. She cocked her hip and rested her manicured hand atop it.

"I'm edible?" Sebastian remarked. Feeling peeved at the sensation of feral silver staring at him like some sort of Impala, vulnerable amidst an African plane. The sleek jungle cat didn't seem too notice her prey's unease.

"So cute." She cooed.

"Leave him alone Hanna. He's new, and unfamiliar with your _reputation."_ Elizabeth said eerily. Hanna feigned shock, and scrunched her nose snootily as if she had just smelled something horrible.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked impishly.

"You're a man-eater Hanna. You wreck any guy you can get your claws on. Don't deny it." Elizabeth claimed. Hanna snorted and covered Elizabeth's small face with her hand, playfully shoving her aside.

"Ugh. I've had enough of your mouth, squirt." Turning her attention towards Sebastian she shot him a salacious smirk. "What a babe." She thought aloud. Sebastian simply shrugged awkwardly, not knowing what else to do with himself. He followed the two girls silently as they led him to an unknown destination.

"Hey look there's Claude!" Elizabeth pointed, and she rushed over to a tall, burly, giant, seated languidly in the back of a red pickup truck. "Claude." She yapped. Reminding Sebastian of one of those Chihuahuas he'd seen his down stairs neighbors walking some mornings. He'd always hated dogs, though he wasn't overtly certain why that was. Something about their nature, not matter what the breed, set him off into a state of unease.

Their trusting eyes, and smiling jaws, and dancing tails, all gave Sebastian anxiety. Anxiety he neither understood, nor wanted to delve further into. The girls collected about the man in the truck, while Sebastian observed indifferently.

"Claude where's your boyfriend?" Hanna inquired, glancing around him to see if Ciel was in the vicinity.

"Talking to his stepmom I think." The tall man in the pickup known as Claude spoke.

"He had to be _away_ from you in order to talk with her?" Hanna prodded.

"She's a drama queen, and a bitch. The whole world revolves around her." Claude spat bitterly, not really answering the question. The girls collectively blinked, while Sebastian eyed Claude's soured face and furrowed brow.

He was wearing a football jersey. Number 66. Claude looked like a football player. He was tall, broad-shouldered, though the glasses he wore offset his bronze, and allowed him a more intellectual appeal above all. He had black hair, which was sleek, and golden eyes. Odd color, Sebastian would have guessed that they were contacts, were it not for the glasses.

He was good looking in a rugged sort of way. Overall he looked no different from a stereotypical jock/meat-head. So THIS was Claude Faustus. Quarterback on the Edward Gory football team, beloved member of school hierarchy, protégé of the brutal coach Spears. And most importantly current possessor of desired object, Ciel Phantomhive.

"You don't know her like I know her. She's a mess." Claude continued.

"You sure you're not just jealous because she's been insisting that Ciel come home more often rather than be at your house all the time?" It was Elizabeth that spoke this time.

"Fuck yeah I'm fuckin jealous. That's why as soon as I graduate I'm getting an apartment and Ciel's moving in with me." Claude stated confidently. In light of the conversation, a little blur of teal came meandering in the direction of Claude and the others. Sebastian couldn't miss that little blur, and noticed immediately that it was Ciel. He looked frazzled. And his hair was mussed.

He was talking on his cell phone in clipped tones. It looked as if he were having an argument of some sort with an unknown party on the other line. Ciel rolled his eyes at the anonymous voice on the other end. He was agitated, and looked desperate for escape from the conversation. With a final sigh, Ciel hung up without saying goodbye, and jogged over to the red truck.

"Hey Sebastian you made it!" Ciel said huffing.

"Sebastian?" Claude thought aloud.

"Yeah I already told you about him. He's hanging out with us." To which Claude simply nodded in acknowledgement to Sebastian's presence, then focused his attention back to Ciel. It wasn't long before Alois had come rushing over to join the fray. His disappointment in Sebastian's company however was duly noted by all, and he did very little to hide it.

"Um, how are we all going to fit in the truck?" Sebastian questioned.

"Lap buddies." Ciel said simply. And Sebastian was confused. Alois decided to take initiative and hopped inside the truck first. Elizabeth logically followed afterword, situating herself on his lap. Sebastian was about to follow suit, when he suddenly felt a heavy hand clasp down on his shoulder.

"You drive?" Claude asked. Sebastian raised a brow, answering hesitantly.

"Yeah." A gaggle of keys was tossed at Sebastian and he caught them. Comprehending the implication of the keys, he walked over to the other side of the truck and climbed into the driver's seat. Hanna looked disappointed.

"Aw I wanted to be lap buddies with Sebastian." She whined, poking out her bottom lip.

"Well normally _you_ would be driving. But since you got your driver's license taken away in a break-checking accident-"

"Oh shut up Claude." Hanna said as she climbed into the back to join Elizabeth and Alois. She stuck her tongue out at him just before ducking her head inside the vehicle for good measure. Claude smirked rolling his eyes. He climbed into the passenger's side of the car himself, and hauled Ciel onto of his lap.

Sebastian put the key into the ignition. Cocking his head over his shoulder he pulled out of the parking space.

"What are you doing?" Ciel asked Claude in an annoyed fashion.

"I'm buckling myself in." Claude explained reasonably. Ciel smirked and raised a brow, looking at Claude as if he had just done something utterly moronic.

"Oh so if we get in an accident its totally okay if I go flying out the window as long your safe huh?" Ciel questioned sarcastically. Claude chuckled, squeezing onto Ciel's midsection with his brazen arms.

"Guess you better hope that Sebastian's a good driver or else you're screwed." He teased.

"He's probably a much better driver than you." Ciel retorted elbowing Claude in the side. "Quit squeezing me." He added.

"Nope." Claude said defiantly. "Since you don't have one, I'll be your seatbelt."

"You're a dork." Ciel leaned into his boyfriend's chest and propped his feet on top of the dash.

"So I don't know where I'm going." Sebastian spoke up.

"Yeah just go straight, then take a left at the light, and turn onto "Kilkenny". Claude directed nonchalantly, his attention more focused on Ciel's neck.

"Pfft." Sebastian chuckled.

"What is it?" Claude questioned.

"Oh nothing it's just that Kilkenny kind of sounds like "kill Kenny". You know that kid from South Park? It's funny because he always dies in like every episode." Sebastian explained tentatively.

"Oh yeah huh? I never thought of that." Ciel laughed.

"Oh Jesus Ciel's obsessed with that show." Claude complained.

"It's funny!"

"Yeah little kindergarteners running around and cussing every ten seconds is hilarious." Claude said sarcastically.

"Their actually supposed to be fourth graders." Sebastian amended.

"Suck my balls Mr. Garrison!" Ciel yelled.

"Oh my god you guys." Claude sighed in resign while Ciel and Sebastian bonded over South Park. The duration of the short drive was filled with chatter pertaining to the widely popular animated sitcom, consisting of mindless gore, political satire, and unmitigated vulgar. Everyone found Ciel and Sebastian's jargon on the subject to be entertaining save for Claude.

The bonding that ensued between Sebastian and Ciel made Sebastian feel more at ease. He hadn't realized that he'd possessed the capacity to acquire jealousy on demand. But after seeing the way Claude so blatantly handled Ciel, he knew that this was so. He wanted Ciel in his lap, to kiss his nape, hold his waste, and inhale his scent…

"This is the house." Claude interjected suddenly. Sebastian blinked. Claude lived no less than 10 minutes away from the high school. The school its self was situated in a fairly nice neighborhood and Claude's house was reasonably large in stature. It was a 2 story with an arching porch, vines twining around the entrance, and vibrant plant life such as rose bushes lined the perimeter of the home.

The home looked very welcoming and well cared for. Sebastian pulled into the drive way, and everyone hopped out as if it were protocol. Claude grabbed Ciel and threw him over his shoulder; Ciel shouting complaints at being flung around, and Claude pretending not to listen. Sebastian was the last to one out, and Claude slapped him on the back with a "thanks bud" and took back his keys.

Sebastian narrowed his eyes. He knew he'd hate Claude. He already hated Claude. And now what with Claude's little patronizing maneuver he just pulled, Sebastian was beginning to entertain thoughts of Claude's unfortunate demise.

Death by "accidental" football insertion up his anal cavity sounded like it could be within the realm of possibility. The double doors were of a sturdy, glossy, cherry oak. Large, crisp, glass windows were framed by the wood and Sebastian could see the on goings of the Faustus household through them. A woman was busy vacuuming, of which Sebastian assumed to be Claude's mother.

Claude opened the front door and everyone shuffled in, immediately climbing up the stairs as if they lived there. Ciel was one of those who followed closely behind Hanna. He took Sebastian's hand, flashing him a sweet smile as he led him up the stairs. Claude shouted a simple "hey mom" over his shoulder to the woman with the vacuum.

Sebastian could see the living room from the second floor. There was taxidermy lining the Faustus walls. A large elk helm was displayed nobly above the fireplace, stealing away any wandering eyes from other more inferior animal husks. Sebastian had never seen so much death in one facility. He could feel the dead glass of numerous animals watching him; their ghosts still haunting their prosthetic eyes. A shiver crawled up his spine at the notion.

Was Claude some sort of closet Elmer Fudd? Sebastian tapped Ciel's shoulder.

"What's with all the death?" He whispered bluntly. Ciel giggled.

"Claude actually isn't from here. He was raised in Georgia, still has family that lives there. His father, Grayson raised cattle, and they all lived on a farm. Grayson made a deal at a meat processing firm here in Tampa to import their meat. He wanted to be close to where all the action was happening and moved his family. Claude's uncle still manages the farm in Georgia, and his family visits the farm at least twice a year.

"Long story short, there was a lot of game on the farm where Claude grew up and he and his father used to hunt a lot, still do. And if they catch any game worth brining back to Tampa they stuff it and mount it. Claude tried to get me into taxidermy but it grossed me out too much." Ciel joked.

_'So Claude's a country boy. I didn't hear an accent…no wonder why he's so domineering in everything he does.'_

"I see." Was all Sebastian could muster. He continued to follow close behind Ciel upon entering a large room with a flat screen, two couches, and a desk top computer. Everyone was already there, chattering about this and that. They all seemed comfortable and to them this was the normal. To Sebastian it was the exact opposite.

"Hey Sebastian, c'mer." Hanna beckoned.

"Go on." Ciel nudged. And he reluctantly went over to her. She was relaxing on one of the two leather furnished couches. Hanna patted the cushion next to her, and Sebastian sat.

"So I'm curious about you Sebastian. What are you about?" She asked flirtatiously.

"What do you want to know?"

"Anything." She drawled, batting her eyelashes.

'_Due to some psychologically taxing events that befell me in childhood, I became clinically insane. Wanton was I for solace in a mind filled with echoing voices, ceaseless in their endeavor to keep me restless. I now dangle from a precipice; death lingers below, ready to ensnare me from within its iron maw. I am now on fifteen different medications, I have a charred memory gland, and sometimes at night I get the shivers._

_'I enjoy flirting with the warden, electroshock therapy, pina coladas and getting caught in the rain!' _Sebastian was never any good at formalities, and the decorum of small talk befuddled him. He wasn't sure what to say.

"Uh…" Sebastian wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. "I was home schooled throughout the first three years of high school, and I live with my aunt." He figured it wasn't really a lie. Dr. Durless was like family to him, she might as well of been his aunt.

"Why were you home schooled?" Hanna questioned, sounding overly enthused.

"Just easier I guess." Sebastian shrugged. He'd have to fabricate his entire life's story. Sebastian pretended not to notice the way Hanna gradually inched closer to his person on the couch. He looked over at Ciel talking with Elizabeth and Alois. Claude however was nowhere to be found.

There was a loud thudding sound, and rapid, little steps traversing up the stairs. There was heavy panting the preamble to unalloyed excitement. A flash of gold, loud barks, a wagging tail, and Claude following close behind. The Golden Retriever bounded over to the group of teens, chuffing for attention, and begging with dopey eyes.

The animal rolled onto its back exposing its belly to all for a rubbing. The girls swooned at the display, and Ciel got down on his knees and tangled with the dog as if it were his own. He scratched the dog's belly with his hand, and cooed sweet words of spirited praise.

"Aw Toulouse you are such a good boy." Ciel gushed, and the dog called Toulouse, rewarded his efforts with a sloppy lick to the cheek. "Gross Toulouse I don't want your kisses." He complained with a giggle. Elizabeth went over to join Ciel and the charming animal.

Alois, forgotten on the opposite couch, looked disinterested in the animal present, and merely took audience to the commotion it had caused. Hanna however looked torn. Wanting to join the others, though still disinclined to leave Sebastian's side, her eyes darted comically back and forth between the two.

Fortunately for her, the animal decided to forgo the attentions of Ciel and Elizabeth in favor of scouting the couple on the couch. Toulouse bounced onto the couch where sat Sebastian and Hanna, unabashedly. Sebastian's body went rigid. He _hated_ dogs. He felt the wetness of the imposing animal's nose press against his skin. And he jolted suddenly out of his seat.

All eyes were on him, and the scene he'd caused. Sebastian swallowed hard. His eyes were registering the people glaring. His brain however temporarily shut itself down, leaving him speechless.

_*"Be sure to eat your protein son."*_

Sebastian's eyes widened, the onslaught of fear paralyzing him. The recollection of the words, what was presumed to be an innocent and meaningless conversation; those words…

'_Protein?'_

_'What about it?'_

_'…Tastes funny…'_

The dog barked, instinctually sensing the tension. Sebastian shivered.

*_Bang*_

_'No…'_

_*Bang*_

_'No!'_

Images flooded, gun smoke…the smell, the scent…_death…_gore…_blood_.

_*"Clean it up."*_

_*"Her head…Daddy her head!"*_

_*"Daddy it's in my hair!"*_

_* "Clean it up sport."*_

_* "Daddy no! Daddy!"*_

_A/N_: Yet another cliff hanger…I am truly ashamed of myself. *Commits Seppuku.* In any case I have been in labor with this chapter for a very long time. AND NOW I HAVE GIVEN BIRTH! GROSS! Hopefully it was worth the wait. Thank you for reading!


	5. Chapter 5: Aurora Borealis

**A/N: **Obnoxiously short chapter. A thousand pardons! Thank you for reading!

Journal 25

October 9, 2013

_I had that dream again…with the woman and the chair. But something was different. The woman seated on top of the chair holding the item that I couldn't see, wasn't crying this time. I still couldn't make any sense of her face. The thing she was holding, she held it close to her breast like a baby. _

_Everything was once again in Technicolor, as I simply watched the matron in this negative world my subconscious has fabricated. She was rocking back and forth, shaking her head nervously. And then suddenly the thing in her arms revealed itself. _

_Out form the swaddling cloth appeared a dog's head. The dog seemed to eye the woman with minimal intrigue, before it turned its head in my direction. Its eyes were like glass, reflecting the world it saw like a mirror. The dog then turned to face the woman again; spontaneously it launched itself at her. It was attacking her. The woman sat helpless allowing the animal to maim her countenance. The feral creature was eating her face, but only her face. Noises of flesh being separated from bone, the squelching sounds of sharp canines knowing away at the pliant bone marrow. _

_The dog bounded away after debauching the woman's visage. And then she looked at me, though I could see nothing; just a mass of black sludge, as her face began to leak. The ink like before began to pool around the woman and in no time it swallowed her, taking the red chair with it. _

_I woke up in a panic, my breaths ragged. What was the significance of the damn dog? The dream reminded me very much of the recent dog incident that had occurred at Claude Faustus' house. I ran. I ran out of the room and out of the house, stuttering something about feeling sick. I called Dr. Durless, in a panic and begged her to come get me. _

_My own fear, it was actually tangible. I could feel it, taste, touch it, smell it. I must have seemed like such a fool to the others. That damn dog! I hate dogs I hate them. Claude did it on purpose to make an idiot out of me. No…that's illogical, how could he have known. Why I hate dogs I still can't remember._

_…Something about death and my father… _

_…Something about__** death**__ and my __**father**__…_

_Dr. Durless was frightened for me, worry wrinkles making themselves evident as her brows furrowed. There was nothing to be said all she could do was offer her physical support by rubbing my back or giving me sleeping pills. It couldn't be helped, she gave a valiant effort. I don't want to face Ciel at school, by now he must know that I'm a freak, he must be frightened of me. How could he want me? I'd dement him._

_Monster._

_Freak._

Chapter 5: **Aurora Borealis**

Zyprexa (Olanzapine).

Side effects: Akathisia (inability to sit still).

Dizziness.

Drowsiness.

Drugs used in conjunction with Zyprexa: Tegretol, Carbatrol, Equetro.

Side effects: stiff muscles, high fever, sweating, confusion, fast/uneven heart beats, feelings of fatigue, twitching.

Trouble speaking.

Changes in personality.

Hallucinations.

Thoughts of self-mutilation.

"Jesus." Sebastian mumbled as he read the description on the backs of his medication bottles, all neatly lined up next to one another, like a small army of prescription drugs. He had a splitting head ach. His vision blurred. He couldn't stop thinking about the dream he'd had. The dog seemed to be a symbolism of all his fears.

An animalistic messiah of the damned. (However sardonic that analogy sounded.)

The guardian of dark thoughts and nightmares.

He glared at the small digital clock on the microwave in the kitchen. It read that it was 2:30 am. Sebastian couldn't fall back asleep for fear that he'd have that dream again. He didn't want to be in his bedroom either, something about the desolate space made him feel anxious.

He popped open the Zyprexa bottle and dispensed a handful of pills into his palm. He didn't even bother to pay attention to the amount that he was taking. For the past few days he'd been feeling himself slipping.

Feelings of lack of control, hysteria. The most predominant of all was that he felt weak, weak and dispensable. He knew he was thin, and gangly. He wanted to feel like he at least had some control over his physical form. Lord knows he had no control of the psychological aspect of his being.

Feeling overtly peeved and jittery. Sebastian decided that simply sitting in the kitchen and stewing over his vulnerabilities and feelings of lethargy weren't going to ease his tensions. He'd never visited it before but he knew that the complex he was staying at had a built in gym. And he even had the card key to gain access to the equipment room a few floors below.

Slipping on a pair of shoes, along with a towel and a bottle of water. Sebastian opened the door to the condo he shared with the still currently sleeping Dr. Durless, and stepped outside. He decided that he wasn't going to let himself slip physically. It was his secret hope that by focusing on muscle building, the activity would help distract him from the rest of his life.

Maybe people won't mind him as much if he hides behind his looks. Muscular arms and rock hard abs could be Sebastian's way of hiding his true self and be more _accepted. _Stepping out of the elevator on the first floor. Sebastian walked down a narrow hallway, past the front desk. At the end of the hall were two, large, doors made of glass. He inserted the card key into the slot to the doors marked "Workout Stationary". He opened it and peeked inside.

There was a dull lighting in the room. Apparently late night-or more appropriately-early morning workouts weren't discouraged at the complex. To his right Sebastian saw a weight bench and rack of barbells all arranged by density. The barbells ranged from 1-20 in weight.

Sebastian decided he could handle 16 lbs. pretty easily. Though when he went to grab one of them, his arm immediately sunk to the ground on impact.

_'Man I'm a wimp.' _He thought, as he hauled his arm up with the use of his other one. But he was determined to get fit. At least if he were feeling moody, depressed, and anxious, he wouldn't have to look it. Perhaps this was very vain of him. But Sebastian didn't care. Maybe he was even doing it in order to impress Ciel? It was a likely possibility.

And maybe Ciel would be more inclined to accept Sebastian if he were hot. Sebastian could be one of those people who could do just about anything they wanted, simply because they were attractive. Not to say he would want all that, but the thought alone was still tempting.

Sebastian lifted the size 16 barbells until his arms were so sour they were shaking. By this time it was already 5:30 am. Deciding that his arms could no longer take the torture, Sebastian moved on to the ab-crunching machine. The tickling sensation he'd felt after stretching his abs as much as he had, was beginning to annoy Sebastian. The sensation didn't feel too dissimilar to the ach in your belly you get when laughing too hard. But he didn't care. He was undeterred.

The act of working out allowed Sebastian to focus more on the locomotion of the activity rather than focusing on his wondering thoughts. By 6:30 am Sebastian had decided he'd had enough of working out. His arms were pulsating and his tummy hurt. He'd wanted to jog to school, but decided that, that would be overkill.

By the time Sebastian got back to his condo, Dr. Durless was already awake and nursing a cup of coffee. Though she didn't seem too happy about it. Her eyes were droopy, as she regarded Sebastian with a disgruntled look, one that said "how the hell are you up so damn early you moron?"

Dr. Durless was not a morning person.

"Morning." Sebastian muttered, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"How long have you been up?" Dr. Durless questioned.

"Few hours. Couldn't sleep so I figured I'd make myself useful." Sebastian explained.

"Poor baby. I know this transition must be difficult for you." She said earnestly.

"It's not all bad." Sebastian attempted to reassure her.

"Sebastian…You know I care for you, and want the best for you. I wanted to encourage healthy relationships for you, and help you sustain an equal and productive membership in society. While I still believe that such things are good for you, I also think I may have put too much pressure on you.

"Because I care about you as much as I do-I let my feelings get in the way and pushed you into something you weren't ready for. I'm so sor-"

"That's enough." Sebastian interrupted calmly. "Don't apologize. We both know we can't fix me, not matter how integrated and socialized I become. That's just the way it is. You're doing your best and I appreciate it." With that Sebastian gave her a weary smile and retreated to the bathroom before she could say anything else.

"You were always such a sweet boy Sebastian. When I first met you at the asylum I knew there was something different about you. You were never cruel because you wanted to be. You were just…hurting and frightened. I fell in love with that lonesome boy, seated by himself in a corner, sketching outlines of people as they passed by. But I suppose I can't tell you all that now can I?"

Dr. Durless whispered to herself. She knew Sebastian couldn't hear her. He was in the shower with the door closed.

Sebastian pulled into the school parking lot, with his Ford. Dr. Durless had begged to take him to school herself, but Sebastian declined. He wanted the time alone, and the driving actually relaxed him. However after stepping out of his car he wasn't at all prepared for what happened next. And the relaxed feeling he'd felt prior had now completely dissipated.

He heard footfalls, small ones, and then before he knew it, a small arm hooked itself around his own. Sebastian jerked his head shock-stricken at the sudden contact. It was Ciel, and Sebastian's eyes widened comically like a bug's.

"Hey! I was so worried when you just ran off like that yesterday. What gives? Are you okay?" Ciel panted. He looked as though he'd practically sprinted across the parking lot just to catch up with Sebastian.

"I-um…it's complicated. Sorry about that, guess I probably freaked you out huh?" Sebastian replied shamefully.

"Not at all!" Ciel beamed. "I was just worried was all, but I'm glad you're okay now." He smiled, holding Sebastian's arm even tighter. It vaguely hurt, given the fact that Sebastian just worked out for about 4 hours earlier. But Sebastian didn't complain. Any sort of contact with Ciel was greatly accepted even if it did hurt a little.

"How'd you find me so fast?" Sebastian questioned.

"This is going to make me sound like a bit of a stalker, but I actually waited in the parking lot for you to come by so I could talk to you." Ciel blushed, rubbing his nose.

_'Too cute! He actually waited for me!' _Sebastian thought with glee.

"Actually since we've met I haven't really been able to talk much with you at all. School doesn't start for another 45 minutes. Do you wanna go grab some coffee with me?"

_'Like a date?! No stop that he's just being his sweet, cute, self. There's no meaning to it beyond friendship. But I have been meaning to get to know him more, just one on one.'_

"Yeah s-sure." Sebastian stuttered.

_'God I must sound like such a loser right now.' _He sighed. Ciel was still clutching tightly to Sebastian as they began to walk off campus. Sebastian's nerves were beginning to get to him, as he tried to find the right words to say in a situation like this.

He eyed Ciel silently as he was prone to do. Sebastian noticed that he was wearing a large, black, T-shirt with the words "Aurora Borealis" in pink lettering. Underneath there was the logo of a pink bunny rabbit wearing an eye-patch flipping the "bird" with a pudgy paw.

"You listen to Aurora Borealis?" Sebastian questioned casually.

"Yeah. I really like them. There underground so it's rare that I meet other people who listen to their music."

"I like them a lot too. Though their lyrics tend to be mostly gibberish." Sebastian said smiling.

"Acid rainfall, makes my skin crawl.

Boiling down my flesh.

The wicked moans of ancient bones, buried our backyard,

Makes it oh-so, hard,

To sleep a wink."

Ciel sang the first verse in a lucid and pretty tone.

"Pretty." Sebastian complimented, and Ciel blushed. "Though I'd probably fry my brain trying to figure out what those lyrics actually meant." He continued.

"Yeah I agree, the lyrics are odd, but there's also something very intrinsic about them."

"Ah, yes the art of fundamentals are frequently lost in the new age."

"You really think so?" Ciel questioned.

"I don't really know. Though it does seem as though society is losing itself to the demi-gods of pop-culture, and we as a populous tend to forget who we are beyond the physical." Sebastian blurted.

"Deep thinker huh?"

"Nah, I just like to use big words and overcomplicate sentences." Sebastian admitted, and they both laughed.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I am uncertain. But I feel as though I am losing direction with the plot. Hopefully I can figure out a way to tie all the different elements together. What I struggle with most is the relationship dynamic between Sebastian and Ciel. I want to develop Ciel a little more and perhaps add some skeletons to his closet so to speak. But I also really don't want to take the focus off of Sebastian. I want readers to fall in love with them as a couple in this story. But it's so difficult to figure out how to keep it quirky and charming, but also complex and meaningful.


End file.
